Strays, Episode 3: Personal Battles
by Wild Cat 214
Summary: Sent to the Northern Deadlands, Hiccup and Cog are forced to confront the truth about the land they live in and how it affects them. But with that shocking discovery comes a new friend, one that could help them fight Darksoul, and a return to the Spire results in the meeting Cog has been waiting for. But will the battles end? Or have they only just begun? Platonic HiccupxOC.
1. Chapter 1

***Cue "Lift Your Spirit" by Aloe Blacc***

 **'Cause I've decided that's the theme song for this series.**

 **Special thanks to The Story Of Your Life for telling me about this song!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1: Northward Bound**_

 **Author's Notes: Yay, episode 3 is here! Unfortunately, you guys won't find out what the big reveal is until the next chapter, but I'll tell you right now, it's a doozy.**

 **Reviews:**

 **mc arno (Chapter 10 of Episode 2, Jun. 28) – When I first read your comment, I started wondering that same thing. I realized that it is no specific movie or book, but rather a combination of many things. The Final Fantasy games, Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern books, a little bit of Legend of Zelda (though that comes in later), and another How To Train Your Dragon fic that I haven't published or finished, these all played a part in creating Strays. Plus, one scene that will show up eventually sort of stuck with me, the one that reveals the reason behind the name of this series, but you'll have to wait for episode 4 for that scene :P**

 **The Story Of Your Life (Chapter 10 of Episode 2, Jun. 28) – I know the feeling. Having a connection to characters is always good, because then they become important to you, even if they're technically not real. That's my opinion, anyways.**

 **Disclaimer: This is the only time I'm putting the disclaimer in this episode, so just keep that in mind while I write. I don't own How To Train Your Dragon or any of the canon characters. All I can claim are my OC's and various other changes.**

 **Disclaimer 2: Also, since this chapter features a song I do not own, I need to put the disclaimer for it as well. I do not own the Ballad of Serenity, though I do think they shouldn't have canceled the show. It belongs to Joss Whedon and was sung by Sonny Rhodes, so look it up sometime! If you want to, that is.**

 **Also, curse you, Joss Whedon!**

 **Key:**

 **0*0*0 – scene change**

 **Horizontal line – perspective change**

* * *

We flew for hours, passing over the forests and villages in the Land of the Rejected, and when we came to the chasm that separated this region from the Northern Deadlands, Hiccup had us stop to hover.

"Wow. You weren't kidding when you said they were everywhere," he said sincerely. I nodded slowly. Even from Faded Dreams, it was hard to appreciate just how big the cracks in the land were. The Myst that flowed into it also obscured it, since it was in greater quantities at the cracks than anywhere else, and the silvery folds of that weird, ethereal substance make it hard to see through the stuff. Now, though, we could see how the Myst flowed into it like a foggy cataract, the strange stuff spilling in from both sides like a cup running over.

"Yup. That's the reason why it's called the Fractured Lands. This entire part of the world is like one big broken plate, and the chasms are where they broke apart. Now, enough sightseeing. Let's go!"

I patted the necks of Snow and Ash, and with an anticipatory growl, they shot forward, Toothless and Hiccup close behind, and together we crossed the chasm.

We had entered the Land of the Old Gods.

0*0*0

"This place is so empty. No wonder you call it the Northern Deadlands."

Hiccup's awestruck voice carried well over the yards we had between us. He was standing on the edge of a huge cliff overlooking the flat parts of the Land of the Old Gods, while I was sitting before a small fire. Toothless was lounging near Snow and Ash behind me, having already had a few dried fish, and Nuts was dozing near the fire.

Night had fallen, the west turning red and orange as its last rays stained the banks of Myst on the horizon, so we had set up camp on what might have once been an island, in the Before-Time. Lola had made us bring some firewood along in our packs, so I was able to build a fire and have Toothless light it, but we would have to be sparing with the wood. There were no fallen branches around to replenish what we had if we ran out. I looked up from the merrily crackling flames, where I was cooking some of the cured meat Lola had given us, and shrugged.

"That's what the Catastrophe did, Hiccup. It killed everything within its boundaries, though it took about a month to cover all of the region now known as the Northern Deadlands. It even did something to the land," I replied mournfully. He turned and joined me by the fire.

"What did it do?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I don't really know. It's kinda like salting the earth, you know, making it impossible for plants to live in some soil, but it's been five hundred years. You'd think, surely something would have started growing by then, but no. They say the Catastrophe broke the connection the earth gods have to this land, that the huge influx of Myst overloaded their link and disintegrated it. That's why it hasn't recovered. No plants means no animals, which means no people or monsters. Only Myst and ghosts are here now." Hiccup seemed a bit puzzled by my answer.

"Why Myst? Isn't that what goes into the chasms?" he said questioningly.

"It is. This is where most of the Myst in the world came from, since this is where, supposedly, that crack in the sky I told you about appeared and let it all in. It comes back up in special wells after it's processed by the elemental gods," I replied grimly. This was also the region where most of our ancestors had come from. The Fractured Lands were where the survivors had gone after the Catastrophe. Even the Winterstorms were descended from this land. Now it was dead, a shadow of its former self. Nothing remained but the Myst around us and the spirits of those who died, unable to rest, unable to join the sky gods in Himinn.

I had heard stories about the Before-Time, where the Land of the Old Gods was once covered in saltwater, with a bunch of islands scattered across the blue ocean. The Catastrophe had taken all of that away and had severely crippled the Vatn _Guðir_ , though they still had power over the rivers, lakes, and ponds. It had made all of the oceans and seas boil away because of its fiery wrath. Maybe those stories were why Hiccup said he was from an island called Berk.

"Hey, Hiccup? Have you ever heard any stories... you know, about the Catastrophe?" He shook his head. "Only what you've told me, Cog. Other than that, I know pretty much nothing about it."

"Really..." There went that theory. Although, there was another thing I could teach him about that terrible event. "You know, there's a song about it."

"The Catastrophe?"

"Yeah. The guy who wrote it said that it sorta came to him through a crack in the world, just like the Myst and monsters did. Only, he said all that came through were words and music, like the Himinn _Guðir_ were giving it to him," I said quietly. The song was well-known throughout the Fractured Lands, and even some parts of the world. It spoke to many of us, since it described what happened very well, yet there were some parts that were confusing.

"Can you sing it?" he asked. I shook my head rapidly. Yes, I could sing, but I didn't like doing it in front of others. It made me self-conscious, and that never works out well. Same reason why I didn't like the days when the teachers at the Academy had the students teach part of the lesson. I hated being the center of attention of so many people.

"I-I know the words, but I'm not that good a singer," I lied awkwardly. The look Hiccup gave me told me he knew I was lying. I let out a heavy sigh. Fine. You win, Hiccup.

"Okay. I'll sing it. It's short, though, so don't get too excited," I warned. If he wanted to hear the song dubbed the Ballad of Serenity by its creator, then so be it.

* * *

Cog cleared her throat before she began. Hiccup hadn't heard many songs before – Vikings weren't exactly the type to sing a lot, except when Gobber was in a good mood – but he did have to admit that this song was different from what he had heard on Berk.

 **Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand. I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me.**

 **Take me out to the black, tell them I ain't coming back. Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me.**

 **Leave the men where they lay; they'll never see another day. Lost my soul, lost my dream. You can't take the sky from me.**

 **I feel the black reaching out. I hear its song without a doubt. I still hear and I still see that you can't take the sky from me.**

 **Lost my love, lost my land, lost the last place I could stand. There's no place I can be, since I found Serenity.**

 **And you can't take the sky from me.**

When Cog finished, she seemed lost in thought, so Hiccup decided to leave her alone to contemplate what he had learned. Myst seemed to be at the heart of the matter, affecting everything and everyone, and most of it had come with the Catastrophe. If he could just find out what was at the heart of the Catastrophe, the very center of the Northern Deadlands, maybe he could figure out how he had gotten here – and how to get back home.

'Do I really want to go back?' he thought suddenly. Yes, Berk was his home, where he had grown up and where the people he knew lived, but if he went back, he would have to confront his entire village. Eventually, they'd find out about Toothless and him. What would happen then? Would they kill Toothless? Would they banish him... or worse? He couldn't kill that Monstrous Nightmare, he knew that much, so how would Berk react? How would his father react to learning the rising star that was his son wouldn't kill a dragon?

Hiccup knew the answer to that. They'd hate him. They'd consider him an enemy of Berk, of everyone in the Archipelago, and they'd do what they always did to their enemies. He couldn't go back.

"Hiccup? You okay?" Cog's voice cut into his grim thoughts, and Hiccup looked at her gratefully. She had reminded him that, right now, there was no point in worrying about what would happen when he got back to Berk. Right now, he was going to help her find her sister.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine," Hiccup replied, somewhat weary. It was getting late, after all. The corner of her mouth twisted wryly, but she didn't say anything about his tone. Instead, she showed him the bedrolls and blankets she had set up.

"Well, let's eat dinner and go to sleep, then. At this pace, we should make it to the center by tomorrow afternoon, if we start early. After that, we just need to head northwest-west to find Bolt and the ruins of Drekis."

She served up the two pieces of meat that had been slowly sizzling above the fire, handed him a chunk of soft bread from the food supplies Lola had graciously bestowed upon them, and the two of them ate their dinner in comfortable silence.

When they finished, Cog went over to the bedroll closer to Snow and Ash and flopped down on her belly, supporting herself on her forearms, then pulled out a familiar book.

"Is that what I think it is?" Hiccup asked curiously, taking up a similar position on the other bedroll. She nodded with a grin and showed him the cover. It was the _Book of Dragons, Revised Edition_.

"Lola gave it to me. Let's see what's on the first page," she said eagerly, opening it up and skimming past a few pages that didn't talk about any dragons, and stopping when they reached the first dragon. It was very familiar to him: the Deadly Nadder.

* * *

 _The Deadly Nadder, while once considered part of the Sharp Class of dragons, is now a member of the Tracker Class of dragons. It is best known for its magnesium fire and its tail of sharp spines, and its preference for chicken. They are a common species around the world, more commonly found in the Fractured Lands and surrounding segments of nearby lands, and humans frequently bond to them._

 _While Deadly Nadders can be very touchy, they react well to most methods of training dragons, including the scratch behind the jaw, dragon grass – better known by its common name, dragon nip – and the reflected light trick. It is best to approach them from behind and gently stroke their tail, brushing down the spines at the same time, as this earns their goodwill and trust. They can be very vain, preening and cleaning their scales often, but, like with most dragons, are willing to do anything for someone that has earned their trust. This is one of the reasons why many of those bonded to Nadders are performers or soldiers, since these lives are compatible with the natures of both dragon and rider._

 _In terms of appearance, Deadly Nadders generally have pale underbellies, one main body color, and a secondary color that appears in the mottled pattern of their wings and on the tips of their spines. Eye color is some shade of yellow-orange. While variations in their general structure do exist (though they are exceedingly rare), they usually have a frill of horns at the back of their heads, one large horn on their nose, smaller talons on the backs of their legs, near their feet, and long, whip-like tails with many spines. On average, body length is 30 feet at full growth. In terms of diet, Nadders are partial to chicken and will eat several other things, such as fish and certain ferns, but they refuse to eat eels, like most dragons._

 _Common Myst Magics are Fireball, Heat Resistance, Longevity, Fire Wings, Float, and Accuracy Boost. Uncommon Myst Magics are Bloodhound, Reflex Boost, Fireproof, and Summon Allies. Rare Myst Magics are Merge and Flight. If a person bonded to a Deadly Nadder is also bonded to another monster that shares one of these potential Myst Magics, they will not have a repeated Magic and will receive the full three Magics allotted to them for each bond animal._

* * *

There were other notes, below the excellent images of Nadders on the pages, but they didn't read those. All they read were the main paragraphs, carefully written in that same strange script Hiccup could read, even if he didn't understand how. For tonight, he had had enough new things.

* * *

Hiccup fell asleep quickly, but I was too busy thinking to fall asleep. I had gotten my wish. I had my bond animal, and I had a partner for the first time in my life. Yet I still didn't know why he had shown up on my island. Things like that didn't just happen. There are no accidents. The sky gods, or whoever had influence over Hiccup's fate, had obviously wanted him and Toothless to crash into my house. The real question here was why? Why me? Why now? Why them?

I had too many questions and not enough answers. And since I couldn't do anything about them right now, I decided to follow Hiccup and the others' example and sleep. Morning would answer, if not all, at least some of those questions.

* * *

 **Author's Notes: The elemental gods better watch out. Cog's got her eye on them, and she's willing to do what it takes to get her answers. She's got three dragons on her side, if you count Toothless (and I am), and she isn't afraid to ask them for help!**

 **As for the song I put in, I considered it appropriate for this story, even though it technically goes with** ** _Firefly_** **. I'll let you guys decide what it means in context of** ** _Strays_** **.**

 **As always, reviews are welcome and appreciated, and also... I love all of you guys! Even if you don't review, I love you anyways!**

 **XD Wild Cat 214, out!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: The Awful Truth**_

 **Author's Notes: And now, you shall finally discover what it is I've been hiding from you guys and hinting at since Hiccup first told Cog where he was from. Rejoice!**

 **Reviews:**

 **mc arno (Chapter 1, Jul. 7) – Merci! To answer your question, Toothless still needs to get used to having all that Myst around, but once he has, he'll be stronger and won't have a shot limit, since the Myst is, in this fic, what allows monsters to have their special powers. As for Hiccup, he'll get his second Magic soon, and it's going to be pretty useful :)**

 **I hope that answered your question!**

 **The Story Of Your Life (Chapter 1, Jul. 10) – It's okay! For the why of Hiccup ending up here, that will be partially explained near the end of this fic. For the rest, you'll have to wait a few more episodes. But I promise, all will become clear when that happens.**

 **Key:**

 **0*0*0 – scene change**

 **Horizontal line – perspective change**

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Morning dawned, gray and empty, and Hiccup and Cog wasted no time in packing up for the next leg of their journey. The five of them flew north, Nuts occasionally chirping quietly as they flew over smooth valleys and craggy mountains, when they first saw it. Cog glanced down at her map and over to Hiccup.

"I think that's it," she called out in the stillness, pointing towards one tall peak ahead of them. He nodded, and they began spiraling down towards it. Something about the shape of the mountain seemed very familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

* * *

We set down in the middle of what must have once been a large village, and as we dismounted, Hiccup seemed lost in thought.

"What is it?" I asked him. He kept glancing around, his brow furrowed, until the blood drained from his face.

"No... It can't be..." he muttered disbelievingly. Hiccup ran off towards one mountain, where two statues of giant men flanked a pair of ancient doors. Their features had been worn away by time and wind, but they must have once been fierce men watching over this village. I followed him up the crumbling stone steps leading to the doors and over to one small outcropping that might have once been covered in grass, long ago, only to nearly run into him when he stopped at the edge.

"Hiccup?" I asked worriedly. He was staring at the ruins of the village below us with wide, hopeless eyes.

"I-I can't believe it... Cog, this..." Hiccup said in a quiet, despondent voice. He didn't seem able to say the rest of his thought, so I gave him a few moments. Finally, he turned back to me.

"This is Berk."

0*0*0

I sat on the dusty anvil in what used to be the forge, watching Hiccup wander through the village with Toothless by his side. I figured giving him some space as he got used to the fact that his home had been destroyed centuries ago would be for the best. This was not my place to intrude on. Not right now.

When he had said the name of this village and I had looked over the ancient houses, the memory of where I had heard the name "Berk" before had returned. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have been so blinded by my own jealousy?

Miss Dial, or _Kennari_ Dial as she was referred to by the students, had been in charge of teaching history, though since I had been more focused on the fact that she and Kai were basically a couple, I hadn't paid much attention to the lessons. She had taught the entire class about the Before-Time, including when and where the Catastrophe had begun. Berk, in the Barbaric Archipelago, about five hundred and six years ago—that's where it all began. Most of the people had been at an Althing, as gatherings among tribes were called back then, so they were among the first to be rescued by the sky gods. The others had all perished, because the first blast of the Catastrophe was at a point mere miles from this village. Most of the people in the Fractured Lands, including myself, were descended from people hailing from what had once been the Barbaric Archipelago, though I wasn't entirely which tribe I was related to.

I reached down to my pack and pulled out _Monster Tamers of the Fractured Lands: An Anthology_ , the first of the four books she had given us. Since I was really a Winterstorm, I could probably find out how I was connected to this ruined land.

Everything was connected. Sometimes those connections weren't visible until you really looked. These links were the key to finding out how Hiccup had come to be here, in this time. I just knew it.

As I flipped through, searching for the family tree on the Winterstorms, I saw Hiccup walk into one house near the huge statues, resting on top of a hill that overlooked most of the broken village. Toothless was by his side, supplying him with silent comfort, and I felt a pang in my chest. I had simply been banished from Faded Dreams. Hiccup had lost everything, his home, his friends, his people. All he had left were Toothless and the ghosts that still lingered here. I had to find some way to help him get back to his time.

That thought in mind, I skimmed the branches of people that were once family, but were now dead. At the very bottom of the tree were the names of me and my sister, and just above that was Gear and Arrow. Too soon. I needed to go farther back, to the very first Winterstorm.

0*0*0

It took me awhile, but I finally found out how I was related to this land. The first matriarch of the Winterstorms was a woman named Hanna the Tempestuous, a member of the Berserker Tribe and sister to Oswald the Agreeable. She had been known for, unlike her Berserker comrades, burning with a cold fire when the battle-rage overwhelmed her, and for striking as fast at the Skrill they used for their crest.

'A cold fire, huh? Fitting that _she's_ the reason I exist,' I thought grimly. When I looked around, I couldn't see Hiccup and Toothless anywhere. Had they still not left the house? It had been at least half an hour since I started looking for the thread tying me to the Northern Deadlands. Had something happened to them?

I stood up and glanced at Snow and Ash. They growled softly and turned their heads to look at the same house Hiccup and Toothless had gone inside.

"Are they okay?" I asked. Snow let out a worried growl and set her head on the ground, resting in the gray stillness. Ash simply blinked and stared at me.

"Okay, okay, I'll go check on them," I gave in, closing the book and setting it on top of my pack. I could put it away later. Right now, the two of them needed me. The time for space was over.

Nuts let out a squeak and left my armor, landing atop the book to stare at me expectantly. I groaned and knelt down, patting his head gently.

"Hey, we'll have dinner soon. Sit tight until then," I ordered quietly, standing up and walking up the dry hill towards the wreck of a house.

0*0*0

Hiccup was standing in the middle of the house, holding what looked like a very old, battered helmet with two short horns, and he was deathly still. Toothless was sitting a short distance away, warbling concernedly, and the Night Fury quietly padded up to me when he saw me enter. I patted his head gently and took another step forward, towards Hiccup.

"Hiccup? Are you okay?" He didn't say anything, but his head slightly twisted to show he was listening. I walked closer, slowly, until I was standing behind him. He turned, and I could see tear tracks running down his slightly dusty face. I was speechless, so I did the next best thing to talking. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him, letting him cry it out.

It took a few moments of us standing like that for me to regain my voice.

"Hey, it'll be all right. I'm here for you. We've both lost our homes, now. Me by, well, you know, resisting arrest by a terrible man who wasn't actually my ruler, and you by... I dunno, some freak accident of time. See? The sky gods were watching out for you. After all, they made you hit my house, right? They probably wouldn't have wanted you to do that unless they had some other goal in mind."

"So we're just their pawns? These sky gods have complete control over our fate?" he muttered coldly. I shook my head.

"No, they can't do that. No one and nothing can ever truly decide our fate but us. But they changed yours, Hiccup. You could have been among the people that were saved by them centuries ago, or one of those who died, but instead you turned up in Faded Dreams, in this time. They wouldn't do that without a reason. And I swear, by all the elemental gods and old gods, we're gonna find out why. We're partners. I'm sticking with you till the end," I replied with a slight smile. He pulled away, and I let go, giving him some space.

"Yeah. Partners. Let's go, Cog. One last goodbye, and then we set off for Drekis," Hiccup said resolutely, though his eyes were a bit puffy and red. I nodded and patted his shoulder.

"Yeah. One last goodbye to Berk." We turned to walk out of the ruined house when the sound of someone approaching the doorway made us freeze. That couldn't be right. It should have been just me, Hiccup, Nuts, Toothless, and Snow and Ash here. Who could be all the way up here?

"Hello? Is someone there? I saw your dragons out by the forge, so it's no use hiding. Just come out and let me talk to you," a young man's voice called through the hole in the building. I shared a nervous look with Hiccup. Well, there was no point in pretending we weren't here. He had already seen my Claptrap and Skellurdreki.

'Here goes nothing,' I thought resignedly. Hiccup nodded, and together we stepped out of our hiding places and through the doorway.

* * *

 **Author's Notes: Hmm, I wonder who that could be ;) Anyways, some friendly bonding and the biggest reveal EVER! Okay, maybe not** ** _ever_** **, but so far, it's a pretty big reveal. I can't wait to see what you guys review with!**

 **Wild Cat 214, out!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: Bonding On Berk**_

 **Author's Notes: Sorry about how late the update is. Inspiration for other stories hit me and wouldn't let go. I was also a bit unsure how to write part of this, but as you can see, I worked past it. Well, you can't see it right now, but you can tell because you're reading this chapter and not waiting for me to get my act together and write.**

 **Author: Writing, writing, writing! Grammar! Is this working?**

 **Cog: Yes...?**

 **Author: YAY!**

 **Cog: *facepalms***

 **Reviews:**

 **The Story Of Your Life (Chapter 2, Jul. 16) – Yeah, he's in the future. And don't worry, there's gonna be plenty of fluff ;)**

 **Just not always involving the two of them :P**

 **mc arno (Chapter 2, Jul. 17) – Was it that obvious? XD But anyways, thanks! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Key:**

 **0*0*0 – scene change**

 **Horizontal line – perspective change**

* * *

Hiccup led the way out of the house, stopping when he saw the source of the voice. It was a young man with golden hair and piercing, bright blue eyes, standing near one of the strangest things Hiccup had seen (including the Centouse). It had a serpentine body, with about fifteen flippers on each side and a head with a sideways mouth, and its body was a rich shade of brown with yellow at the tips of the flippers. A crest with oval holes went up from the back of its head, behind a row of spikes that jutted out from its brow. Black eyes watched them warily from either side of its mouth, and it had more spikes on the two halves. All of the spikes were tipped in the same yellow as the flippers. At the end of its tail was a flipper or paddle of some sort, with three more oval holes in it and rounded tips to the prongs. Finally, it had a hole at the end of each flipper, where it was widest.

The young man bowed slightly, pressing a hand to his heart, and straightened, looking from Hiccup to Cog curiously.

"Hello. I hope I didn't frighten you. It's just that I haven't seen many people since I came here," he said politely. The young woman at Hiccup's side tilted her head to the side bemusedly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Who are you? Why are you up here?" she asked bluntly, folding her arms in front of her. He recognized that tone. It was the same one she had used when she found out about her Sigil. That same icy voice that, frankly, scared him a little.

"My name is Armin. I came here to... to study Myst and how it affects certain areas," he introduced himself with confidence, faltering a little when he explained his reason for being here. When she heard his purpose, Cog relaxed and returned to her normal cheery self.

"Really? Cool! I'm Cog Winterstorm. Nice to meet you!" she said, holding out her hand. Armin took it and shook hands with her, a bemused smile on his face, then turned to him. "And you are?"

"Oh, uh, I'm Hiccup," he introduced himself awkwardly, holding out his own hand. They shook in greeting, and then Armin looked between the two of them curiously.

"Why are you two here? I doubt it's because you also wanted to study Myst," he said wryly. Hiccup and Cog glanced at each nervously, each smiling sheepishly, and Cog looked back at him.

"Well, it's, uh... it's kind of a long story," she began slowly. The young man smiled brightly.

"I have time. Why don't we sit down? I think it'll make your dragons happier, too," he suggested, looking over his shoulder at the remains of the forge. Snow, Ash, and Nuts were all watching them warily, ready to leap to their defense at the first sign of trouble. Toothless crooned at the strange monster, it whistled in reply, and they began a strange conversation.

"Looks like Annie and your dragon are friends now," Armin remarked with a grin. Cog looked at Hiccup and nodded slightly. She was okay with talking to him.

"I guess so. If Toothless is okay with, uh—" he trailed off. Cog leaned in and supplied him with the name he was looking for. "Annie's a Whistler."

"—With your Whistler, then we're okay with you. Cog, why don't you fill Armin in on the situation?" Hiccup finished. She nodded, and as they walked, she gave the young man the short version of their adventures thus far.

0*0*0

"Fascinating. So not only is _Jarl_ Darksoul a usurper on the throne of the Land of the Faded, Hiccup is actually from the Before-Time, from this very village?" Armin exclaimed, eagerly looking at Hiccup. He felt a little uncomfortable with the attention, but nodded.

"This place used to be my home, Berk. Cog thinks the sky gods had something to do with me ending up in this time," he told their newest companion. The blond man nodded, his eyes shining with scholarly delight.

"But this is perfect! I came here to learn about the effects of Myst on ground, and what I found was even better! Hiccup, will you teach me about life on Berk?" he asked hopefully. Hiccup glanced at Cog nervously, and she shrugged. Apparently, she didn't really care what they did, as long as they left to find Bolt in the morning.

"I guess so. Why do you want to know?" he replied. His sudden student smiled sheepishly. "I've always been fascinated by the cultures of the Before-Time, and learning what sort of farming and animal husbandry techniques they used before the Catastrophe can help with analyzing the soil. Myst has its own special signature, but in ground like this, where it's been saturated with Myst for centuries, it's hard to look for something beyond that signature."

Hiccup grinned at Armin's words. For some reason, the guy reminded him of Fishlegs, only thinner and with longer hair—and a strange monster by his side. It was probably the way he sounded so eager about analyzing the soil and learning new things about the past. Well, history to him. For Hiccup, it was just the events of six days ago.

"Can I take a few samples to analyze and study? I ask since this used to be your home, and I don't want to desecrate any sacred ground," Armin asked, hastily adding on the second part. The young Viking smiled sardonically. There wasn't much "sacred ground" on Berk. His people had paid homage to the gods, but they didn't have any temples or shrines to them. Not unless you counted the Great Hall.

"Uh, I guess so. Can you study them on the move? We aren't going to be staying on Berk for very long. Cog and I have to get to Drekis to find her sister, and then we have to return to the Fractured Lands," he told him honestly. The young man's face fell, then brightened.

"I understand, and I am perfectly capable of performing my experiments on the go. If it's all right with you two, I'd like to come with you and learn more about Berk and how you came here, Hiccup, when you travel to Drekis and the Fractured Lands. It seems like a fascinating topic," he replied eagerly. "Besides, I'm also a healer, somewhat. I can help you guys."

"How about a trade? Hiccup teaches you about the Before-Time, and you act as our healer?" Cog offered, holding out a hand. Armin looked at it, weighing the decision carefully in his mind, then took it and shook firmly.

"Done."

* * *

Night was falling by the time we set up camp, and in the growing shadows, the village of Berk almost looked like it was whole again. Funny how deceptive darkness can be. I was sitting beside Armin, staring up at the shrouded sky above us all while Hiccup boiled some of the dried meat Lola had given us and tossed in a couple pinches of salt and herbs Armin had brought with him.

"So, uh, Hiccup seems nice," the blond boy commented casually. I turned my head to look at him, then at my partner, and nodded. "He is. Hiccup's one of the first people who accepted me for who I was, back when I thought I was Markless. He didn't consider me beneath him simply because he had a Sigil. I guess that's 'cause he didn't actually know what a Sigil was, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. We've been through some tough things together, but I know I can depend on him."

"Really... Is he, uh, involved with anyone?" I blinked a few times, trying to work out what he meant by that. Slowly, it dawned on me.

"Uh, kinda. Sorry, Armin. Hiccup's not, um, Moonstruck, I'm afraid," I replied nervously. This was my first time meeting a boy who was Moonstruck. Personally, I was more confused by the concept of being Moonstruck or Sunstruck than disturbed. How did it happen? Did some part of their soul decide that they liked people with the same parts as them? Was it just a thing they were born with, or did they decide to be that way? I knew that they weren't very welcome in many parts of the world, since they didn't really contribute to the continuation of the human race, but treating them badly seemed like such a cruel thing to do. Besides, Armin seemed like a good person. So what if he was Moonstruck? He was still a human.

"Ah. Is he yours, then?"

I stiffened and stared at him in shock. He thought... Had he just... What?!

"W-w-what? No! Hiccup and I are just friends, Armin. We both like other people, okay?" I replied, once I found my tongue again. He nodded, pursing his lips in thought and turning his face back to the sky.

"I see." He didn't say anything after that, so I was left to my own thoughts. If I had acted on my feelings for Kai, would things have turned out differently for me? I doubted it. Kai would have let me down gently, and I'd have been worse off because of the rejection. Sky gods, I'd probably have asked _Kaupmaður_ Strut to take me with him to some other part of the Fractured Lands, just so I could recover. My emotions had always run a little high.

I blinked and poked my cheeks a couple times. Now was certainly not the time to get emotional over regretting the past. What Hiccup was feeling right now was probably worse than anything I was going through.

* * *

It was all a bit much to take in. He was in the future, a terrible future where people he knew no longer existed. Gods knew how it had happened, literally. If what Cog had said in his old house was true, then the sky gods had something to do with him ending up here. This must have been what Lola meant when she told him to go with Cog to the Northern Deadlands.

'The gods abandoned Berk. Thor, Odin, Freyja, Frigga, they left them to die. Why? Why would they do that?' he wondered, desperately searching the sky for answers. None came, and why should they? The deities he was asking weren't there anymore.

"Hey, Hiccup? I'm going to sleep. Good night," Cog said sympathetically, having walked up to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Hiccup nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Okay, Cog. Good night," he replied. The young woman let her hand linger a few more moments then went to her bedroll and crawled inside, Nuts joining her beneath the stuffed cloth and her Skellurdreki curling up protectively around her.

Toothless warbled at him in concern, the Night Fury bumping his head against the young Viking's arm. He smiled again and rubbed the dragon's head.

"Thanks, bud." Hiccup twisted around to see Armin staring at the sky with a look of worry. That was strange. The same look had passed over his face when they explained that they'd eventually go back to the Fractured Lands. Maybe he was thinking about that.

"Armin? You okay over there?" he called. The blond man jumped slightly and turned his attention to the brunet, giving him a shrug and a sheepish grin.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, Hiccup. Just thinking about some personal things," he replied. Before Hiccup could say anything else, Armin stood up, went over to Anaheim, and laid down on his side, pulling his blanket up over him.

"Good night, Hiccup. Sky gods watch over your dreams," the blond man called out. The young Viking scowled and glanced at Toothless, sharing a wry look with him.

"We've got some weird companions, hey, bud?" he murmured. The Night Fury warbled with amusement and sank to the ground, letting Hiccup lean against him in his own bedroll.

* * *

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Darksoul muttered, adjusting his crown and straightening on the throne. He cast a baleful glare over his three newly appointed generals, since Dýrð, Sigur, and Heiður were on their own special missions and weren't expected back for several months.

"This is the last time I explain this. Understand?" he bit out irritably, meeting their eyes as he spoke. The two men and one woman flinched and nodded in reply. Their names were Wilhelmina Quest, Jonathan Reed, and Bartholomew Worcestershire, formerly of the Fourth, Seventh, and Fifteenth Divisions.

"You are to each take several divisions of the Faded Army and travel the Fractured Lands. General Quest, your mission is to conquer the Land of the Squandered and the Land of the Abandoned. General Reed, you take the Land of the Broken. General Worcestershire, the Land of the Strayed. You will have assistance in the form of people I have planted among the courts of those lands' _Jarls_. Failure is not an option. IF you manage to complete this task before the end of the week, I will consider appropriate rewards for all of you."

"Yes, _Jarl_ Darksoul." The three trembled as they saluted and nodded, already preparing to obey. It wasn't a matter of loyalty. Most of the people in Darksoul's army remembered the old days, when the Wolfram family was still on the throne.

No, they obeyed because it meant their families would be safe. Xavier Darksoul had made it _very_ clear what would happen to the loved ones of those who disobeyed orders.

"Good. Now go. I want a Terror Mail by tomorrow evening speaking of your successes," he said with a cruel smirk, leaning back against the padded throne. They saluted again and marched out as quickly as they dared. Going too slowly meant they weren't taking their orders seriously, which could be construed as treason. Going too quickly meant they wanted to be out of their king's presence as soon as possible, which could be construed as treason.

The soldiers of the Faded Army walked a delicate line. One slip would result in terrible consequences for both them and everyone they cared about.

When the immense doors finally shut, Darksoul rose and began the long and thoughtful walk back to the royal suite. He had chosen those three because he knew they loved their family more than anything, and because they were decent strategists and fighters. There had been plenty of more suitable candidates, but he wanted three that were easily manipulated into doing his bidding. Generals Quest, Reed, and Worcestershire were manipulable.

"Excuse me, my liege?"

The timid voice of a servant broke Darksoul from his thoughts on his generals, and he turned his attention upon the poor soul. It was a new one, a messenger, and he seemed ready to faint dead away if he so much as whispered, "Boo."

"What is it?" the usurper snapped, making the messenger wince at his tone.

"It's-it's _Kaupmaður_ Strut. He's leaving the docks a d-day earlier than he should be, and he isn't taking any tr-trade goods with him on the _C-Cloud Jumper_ ," he stuttered, every word drenched in fear, "Just one passenger. A teacher at the Academy."

"Is that so? Tell the border patrol to keep an eye out for him and his airship. That sly peddler is a friend of the Winterstorm rebel. If he's trying to find her and help her, then we need to stop him. Wouldn't you agree?" Darksoul said in a slick, darkly pleasant way. The servant, still quivering like a leaf in a strong wind, nodded so fast his head might have flown off if he hadn't scurried off to do his master's bidding. The Jarl watched him go with a satisfied smirk, then finished walking back to his room.

Another day, another servant well and truly traumatized.

* * *

 **Author's Notes: As I wrote that Darksoul part at the end, I only just realized how messed up he is. He takes pleasure in scaring his servants and threatening the families of his soldiers. He's sadistic, manipulative, and a terrible father, even if he isn't a half-bad ruler.**

 **What have I created? O.O**

 **On a slightly cheerier note, Strut and one other person are getting out of the Land of the Faded, which is good, since the spit is gonna hit the fan pretty soon. Of course, Levi's in for some trouble, as well. He's got General Quest to worry about. As for Bolt, well, you'll see.**

 **Really, the only people catching a break right now are Hiccup, Cog, Armin, Lola, and their bond animals...**

 **...aaaaand before I fall into the Pit of Author Self-Loathing (where I go to yell at myself for doing terrible things to my characters), I'd like to just say I love you guys! Thanks for putting up with me!**

 **Wild Cat 214, out!**


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